Page 63 of Best Kept Secret

Nineteen

Kelsey entered Hudson’s apartment building like she’d done numerous times before, only this time, it felt vastly different. She was carrying her Vera Bradley weekender bag, stuffed with enough clothes and toiletries for an entire weekend and then some. In her other hand, she carried a grocery bag filled with sugary treats in honor of the holiday weekend. Who was she kidding? She would have bought them even if it weren’t a holiday.

She reached for the buzzer, but suddenly Hudson’s deep voice filled the air.

“You’re here.”

“I am.”

“I’ll come down and help with your bags.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to. Be right there.”

She smiled while she waited, liking the familiarity and differences all at once. Whenever she’d come here to visit Jared, she’d hoped that Hudson would be there too. Sometimes she’d gotten lucky, and sometimes not, but tonight, she was guaranteed to get lucky!

He opened the inner door and greeted her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen, and her heart tripped all over itself.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.”

“Here. Let me take those for you.”

“Thanks,” she said, handing him her bags.

He pretended to stumble under their weight. “What all do you have in here?”

“Just the essentials.”

“The essentials for a long trip overseas or a weekend at home?”

She laughed and followed him down the hall to his apartment. “I like to be prepared.”

“I can tell, although you don’t live that far away. We could have gone back to your place if you forgot something.”

She hadn’t wanted to leave his side for even a minute, but she decided to keep that to herself lest he think her too clingy. “Well, now I won’t have to.”

He pushed open the door with his hip, and she followed him inside. While he set down her bags, she glanced around the apartment like she’d never seen it before.

“You cleaned,” she said, breathing in the fresh scent of lemon and disinfectants.

“I did.”

“Aw. Just for me?”

They were standing a few feet apart, gazing at each other with a new awareness and maybe a touch of shyness. They both knew what this weekend was about, and while she couldn’t wait to be in his arms, she enjoyed the anticipation too.

“Not just for you. Ah, hell. Yes, it was mostly for you.”

She giggled. “I brought some groceries.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know, but it’s polite for a guest to bring something.”

“You already did…yourself.”